Bible Study Should Christians Have Reading Skills Which Honor The Lord?

[Serving Zion]

I pray, tell us how we are to understand Christ? Just believe as you do? Is that it?

I think the answer comes most clearly in Ephesians 4:13, that is to say that Christ has His plan for how to bring us into unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God: it is through the appointing of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, that if they do their part effectively, it leads to the building-up of the body of Christ, to increase in the things pertaining to Christ until we reach the maturity of faith - the fullness of the stature of Christ. Until that happens, we are said to be immature, tossed about by the trickery of men in their deceitful scheming. It is said that Christ will continue to give those appointed to the work of building up the body until we come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the son of God. So if we see that there is still not unity of faith and the knowledge of the son of God, but we see division and strife, it means that there is not a lack of the parts given by Christ, but that the parts are somehow not doing their work effectively.

James addressed that in James 4:1, he said the quarrels and conflicts come from the flesh (self-indulgence), because we crave and do not have what we crave, we war and do not getvwhatvwecwar for. We ask and do not receive because we ask amiss - not asking in order to get the thing that will quench our thirst, but the thing that will make us drunk. In that way Paul has shown Jesus to be the perfect example of how we ought to be, if we are to achieve through unity, the things that He achieved: do not consider the equality with God a thing to grasp hold of. It isn't ours to take grasp of, but just as Jesus taught us to pray: "thy kingdom come, thy will be done", and so He emptied Himself (of His desires), and having been found in the appearance of a man (because the fallen can only see the carnal), and having been made as a man, He became a servant. If that mind us in us, then we no longer desire to get any reward from our ministry, only being compelled to offer the bread of life where there is need for the body to be nourished.

 

[Serving Zion]

Remember, 36 instances of "imagine/imagination" from 12 original text words, 35 of them literally saying "evil" or "from the devil."

To provide this information in Scripture testifies to our hearts God loves us so much, that he wants us to not think like the World. "Repent" literally means to "Change One's Thinking."

Praise God for His Word at our finger tips.

It would be quite useful to see that list. If you have it on hand it would be helpful to share it. As you see I have only found 15 instances from my search, and that was sufficient in order to verify the point you had made. Who knows what more good could come from having seen the things you have in mind for me?

 

[Jacob62]

It would be quite useful to see that list. If you have it on hand it would be helpful to share it. As you see I have only found 15 instances from my search, and that was sufficient in order to verify the point you had made. Who knows what more good could come from having seen the things you have in mind for me?

I did not keep the study of it. Use the KJV.

Best of success.

 

[WIP]

think the answer comes most clearly in Ephesians 4:13, that is to say that Christ has His plan for how to bring us into unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God: it is through the appointing of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, that if they do their part effectively, it leads to the building-up of the body of Christ, to increase in the things pertaining to Christ until we reach the maturity of faith - the fullness of the stature of Christ.

See the part I colored. Therein lies the problem. That can be a very big "if." Any of us can read the Scriptures but it is pretty obvious that not all of those who read them, come away with the same understanding. This forum is a good example.

 

[humble soul]

What is there to imagine about the Word of God?

Blessings.

Everything

 

[Serving Zion]

I did not keep the study of it. Use the KJV.

Best of success.

That's a very interesting study topic, thank you for that! .. already I have found that it will require some good devoted time, and there will be some valuable findings in the end. I would recommend all who are serious to also conduct their search of the scriptures on this topic.

 

[Serving Zion]

See the part I colored. Therein lies the problem. That can be a very big "if." Any of us can read the Scriptures but it is pretty obvious that not all of those who read them, come away with the same understanding. This forum is a good example.

Yes that is a big problem, and the problem itself that Christ Jesus would like to clear up by the effective working of each part He has appointed. See, the problem comes through the devotion to ignorance of those who twist the scriptures, and Peter says that they twist the scriptures because they are ignorant and unstable. Both those are contributors because ultimately it is their ignorance that makes them unstable, and it is their insecurity that makes them wilfully ignorant.

What God would like is for another Messianic demonstration that shows clearly the teachers of His name from the false teachers, so that ultimately the people will hear His words of truth and be able to distinguish the words of the others. In that way the right knowledge would grow and the wrong ones will be forced to adapt in order to remain in the race (1 Corinthians 9:27).

The scriptures all teach us that the purpose of God's salvific work is to restore His throne in the hearts of mankind so that no longer will there be any mourning or death or crying or pain. Nothing will harm or destroy on all of His holy mountain because the world will be full of the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea. What you are rightly identifying is that there is not a world full of the knowledge of God, but confusion and strife over who God supposedly is. That is what has to change, and that is what Christ Jesus has appointed His people their place for to do. The problem is, therefore, just as you have said, that the parts are not wholly doing their work effectively, and we know that has been a problem since the start (Matthew 13:24-25).